News-Record.com

The first management principle I learned 20-some years ago was that you can do just about whatever you want with employees except change their desks and their parking spaces. It's been dead-on over the years, too.

The parking lot behind our building is for sale. We own it and use it for free employee parking. I park there. It makes sense that it would be sold separately from the company. It's not critical to our company's operation, and there is plenty of other parking available nearby.

Since the "for sale" sign went up on the property, newsroom wags have suggested other possibilities, including selling the air rights over our building for a billboard or, perhaps, a cell tower. Also, that we develop it ourselves, particularly as we need a good journalist/cop bar in town. Several have suggested we sell our computer system. One suggested we sell the presses, too, and commit ourselves to going fully digital.

When I told that to someone outside the newsroom, she said, "Wow. Gallows humor."

"Nah," I said. "Newsroom humor."